Ice Wolf

A Dangerous Discovery (6)

"Yes ma'am, I'll be right back." I reply and exit the cottage. I walk outside and throw the horses some hay. After checking all their waters, I walk over to check on Senara.

I look in the barn for her, but she is nowhere to be found.

"Ara!" I call and walk around the yard, but I find no answer. After calling and searching for several minutes, I turn to go back inside when I hear the sound of hide being ripped from flesh. I turn and look behind the stables, and gasp at what I see. Senara is crouched over a bloody white mound. A sheep.

She looks up and snarls at me before resuming her feast. I am shocked and angry. Senara is the one who has been killing sheep! And this is no doubt one of our own.

Too angry to think, I start screaming at her and even throwing rocks at her.

"Get out of here!" I yell and chase her off. She scurries into the forest, looking confused and scared.

I stand there, realizing what I have done. "Wait!" I call and run after her, ashamed to have let my anger take over.

Senara turns and looks back before disappearing into the shadows.

"No," I whisper, not wanting to accept what just happened.

"What in the world is going on out here?" Father asks as he, mother, and Maria run out behind the stables and sees me standing there. "We heard shouting and..." He trails off when he sees the sheep lying there, dead.

Without even a word spoken, father knew what had happened. He runs inside and grabs his crossbow. He goes past us and enters the barn, preparing his horse, Pilgrim.

I finally find my tongue and run after him into the barn. "Father! No! It was... It-"

"Aspen, I'm sorry but I have to go after her. If we just let her go, she'll keep killing sheep. I just have to." He says and continues saddling Pilgrim.

"But father! You can't kill Ara! No! please don't," I cry and plead.

He looks hurt that he has to do this, but he stands firm.

I choke back a sob and run out of the barn and into the cottage. Before I can change my mind, I grab a sack and stuff it with as much food as possible, although it's not much. I pack a small loaf of bread, some fruit, and some dried meat.

I then climb the ladder into the loft and grab my bedroll and cloak. I open the back loft door just as mother and Maria enter the cottage from the front door.

I quickly climb down the ladder to outside and run back over to the stables. I scurry inside and grab Triumph's bridle, a large coil of rope, and an extra blanket. Before getting Triumph, I retrieve a small jug and fill it up at the well. Then I fill another sack with grain for Triumph, and go to fetch him.

I wish I didn't have to leave, but I have to find Senara before father does. Once I get her up into the mountains I can come home. Once Ara is safe...

I tie all of my stuff down to Triumph and mount bareback. I can ride bareback as well as I do in a saddle, and saddles are troublesome. I need to leave before Maria and Mother find out I'm not in the loft.

Triumph takes off at a lively trot and easily jumps the fence. We take off in the direction I saw Ara last. After riding for several hours and still no sign of Senara, I am wondering if she could have turned further back and went somewhere else. I scan the ground carefully.

Wait... There! I spot a slight imprint in a wet, muddy spot. We follow the tracks for several minutes until I realize that we are in the clearing where I first found Ara.

I notice the small den, and see that there are fresh tracks leading up to it.
I dismount and tie Triumph up to the sturdy branch.

"Ara," I whisper and cautiously approach the den. A white furry head pokes out of the hole. When Ara sees me, she relaxes and scurries out, coming to greet me. She licks my face and waits for me to decide what to do next. It seems as though she has taken to me as the Alfa. She respects me, although she has challenged me in times past.

"Well, Ara," I sit on an overturned log and think. "I suppose I could just take you up into the mountains and leave you... But it's so close to home. What if you come back? Or what if the hunters find you? No. I just can't risk it. I'll take you as far as I have to to keep you safe." I think for a moment. "I know, there's a village just west of here called Willowsburg. We'll resupply there and head further north until we find another wolf pack." It wasn't much of a plan, but at least it was something.

I lead Triumph over to a small creek to drink and refill my jug. After giving Triumph some grain and eating an apple, we set off. We ride for several hours and I begin to feel guilty. Guilty for leaving my family without telling them even goodbye. They must be worried sick. I'm sure the whole village is searching for us. With that thought in mind, I urge Triumph into a trot. Senara has no trouble keeping up.

At dusk, we make camp next to a small mountain lake. I make a small fire and dig through my pack, at last finding a piece of dried meat to snack on. As I eat the tough dry food, I look to the lake and see the splash of a fish jumping.

If only I had brought my fishing pole! I think wistfully. Then an idea strikes.

I pluck several long strands of hair from Triumph's tail and fashion a hook from an old piece of wire in my pack. After securing a chunk I bread to the 'hook', I tie the strands of hair together and finally to the hook. I toss the contraption out into the water and wait. After no more than a minute, I feel a tug at the end of the line and pull it in. Soon I have fresh trout frying over the fire.

After a delicious meal, I wrap myself in sheepskins and snuggle in for the night. Ara lays quietly at my feet. The hooting of an owl is the last thing I remember before falling into a deep sleep.

-

I wake just before dawn and pack up camp. I mount Triumph, and we set off at a lively trot.

After traveling nearly all day, we near the town of Willowsburg. We head towards a small steading on the outskirts of the village.

"I hate to do it, Ara, but it looks like we'll have to steal to resupply. I should've brought money!" I sigh and dismount in a clearing a few hundred yards away from the outbuildings of the steading. I tie triumph up and unsaddle, knowing that we'll have to stay the night here.

Once everything is unpacked, I order Ara to stay with Triumph. I then quietly sneak towards the farm and eventually come to their barn. I really do hate to steal from them, but I just have no choice. I stuff some eggs, hay and a sack of grain into my pack. I even grab a live chicken and stuff it in a small wire cage to take with us. I then take my water jug and go to fill it in their well. At last, all is set. I head back for the clearing and unload all the stuff there. When I get back, I see that Ara is eating a squirrel.

After eating a delicious supper of eggs, bread, and dried meat, I retire to my bedroll. The sweet night sounds of the forest lull me to sleep.

-

Someone is shaking me. Someone is saying something to me. But I can't hear them, nor do I want to. I fight to be pulled back into the welcoming arms of sleep, but the shaking and talking continues.

"Miss, what are you doing out here?" Someone asks in a low voice.

Suddenly I am looking into penetrating dark brown eyes. I blink several times to make sure I'm not dreaming.

"Uh..." I sit up and look around. Senara is no where too be seen. Triumph is grazing a few yards away. My gaze finally drifts to the young man crouched beside me, looking at me with an eyebrow quirked.

This man looks farmiliar... I gasp in sudden realization. It was Gavin. I've got to get out of here!

-

Author's note:

Hope you guys liked the chapter! :) sorry for the cliffhanger.... Lol. I'm not sure if u guys are liking the book so far, but I sure am enjoying writing it! :) it's been a blast. And we're just getting Into the best parts! Well, please vote and comment, and thanks for reading! :)